


Relief

by Nihonkikuasa211



Category: Code Black (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Pre-Series, Slight Mentions of Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-31
Updated: 2016-01-31
Packaged: 2018-05-17 12:36:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5869831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nihonkikuasa211/pseuds/Nihonkikuasa211
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There was a reason why Dr. Neal Hudson was a good doctor, Leanne observed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Relief

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a semi-thank you letter to the doctors and staff at the hospital where my parents went to when they got into a car accident on January 23. The day after I spent the majority of the morning crying, and I am forever grateful that my mothers only suffered slight swelling in the knee and two broken legs. I wanted to write this story immediately after that, but it was too emotionally difficult at the time. My parents are represented in the story by two of the characters, but are no means them. If they read this (which they might) I hope they do not disown me. Again, thank you so much to the medical professionals who helped people closest to my heart.
> 
> Thank you.

_Relief_                          

 

            There was a reason why Dr. Neal Hudson was a good doctor, Dr. Leanne Rorish observed. Two patients had come in with non-lethal lacerations and the only major injury were that both of one of the patient’s legs were broken. The two women, married for six years and relatively unscratched, were simply grateful that they were alive. Leanne noted of the love in their eyes, and the small smile the short darker haired one gave to her wife as she was given pain medication for the broken bones. _“They were likely broken under a pressure most people would only bruise from because you’ve a paraplegic for many years, Dr. Moss.”_ The younger wife had nodded, listening carefully as Neal carefully explained of that they were going to put metal rods in her legs in order for the bones to heal, as they were broken in many places. The professor at Berkley was almost asleep, her dark red curls hanging over her eyes as her wife asked Neal questions about the surgery.

            _He answers her question with precision and grace that usually takes years of practice, and he only just became an attending._ Neal was carefully explaining of what would happen during the procedure, and Leanne noted with pride of how he didn’t flinch when the wife – known simply as L – asked him if he would be doing the surgery. _“Of course I will,”_ Neal stated with calm assurance as the dark-haired woman began to nod, swallowing heavily as she looked back towards her wife. Before, Neal would balk at the thought of doing surgery, dreading the many comments that he should be a surgical resident instead of studying emergency medicine.

            Leanne watched at the corner of her eye as she watched that Neal gently lowered his hand on the recently tenured professor’s shoulder as the patient was wheeled into the OR. Then he gave her a gentle glance before telling Leanne he would scrub up.

            His true moment had come when there was a slight distress in the ER waiting room. Jesse had attempted to calm the young woman – really, more like a girl – down, but she wouldn’t listen to reason. Leanne had come down to the waiting room just as the surgery for the patient Leah Moss was about to be finished. She found the girl sitting in the chair, Jesse hovering over her shoulder as she began to rock back and forth. She was Hispanic, with dark eyes and a head of almost black hair, wearing glasses and wringing her hands. Immediately after seeing Leanne, she jumped, and the residency director noted that like the patients that had come in today, she was quite short.

            “Are you an attending?” she immediately asked. Leanne shared a look with Jesse. “Was there any head trauma?”

            “No, no injuries to the head,” Leanne stated assuredly as she glanced at this young girl who was still slightly rocking back and forth. Normally a patient’s family members’ first question was if their loved one was alright. It was rare that they would ask specific questions. Leanne opened her mouth to speak again, but the young woman began to speak rapidly.

            “I know that Leah’s two legs are broken,” she stated with a slightly wild look in her eyes. “Is that because the bones and muscles from the years of atrophy because of the paraplegia?”

            “Yes,” Leanne said slowly as the young woman began to nod again before reaching into her coat pocket to reveal a small bound book. She stared curiously at the young woman with dark hair. “Are you by any means a med student, or...?”

            “I wanted to be,” the young woman said almost breathlessly before giving a small soft laugh. Her hands were shaking. “But I hate math...and chemistry is...difficult.” Her dark eyes followed the entrance to the Center Stage. “Can I see them?” she stated after a bated breath.

            “Yes,” Leanne said with a short smile. “You can.” The young woman – whose name was Lydia Moss-Archer she remembered now – trailed very closely to the female attending and the registered nurse as she followed them to the ER. They were about to arrive at the bed where L Archer was, but Leanne met Neal as he was walking out of surgery.

            “How did it – ” Leanne started to ask, but then stopped as she saw Lydia rush over to Neal.

            “Are you their doctor?” When met with a slightly confused response, the young woman continued. “I’m Lydia Moss-Archer, their daughter and a student at the University of California. I major in political science.” Then her eyes widened, and Lydia continued uncomfortably. “I’m sorry, I’m just so used to saying where my school is and what my major is that –”

            “No,” Neal said kindly. His eyes carefully met the now-self-conscious daughter of two professors. “You’re right, I am their doctor, Neal Hudson.” Before the young resident could speak again, Lydia thickly swallowed as moisture began to appear in her eyes.

            “I...I’m so grateful they’re okay,” she shakily whispered. Her voice became more unstable and watery as tears freely began to flow from her eyes. “So much _could_ have happened...getting hit head on like that. I was just...so excited to show them a paper that I wrote, but then I got a call stating that my mothers got in a car accident.” A shaking breath emerged from the young woman as she put her hands to her mouth to prevent an oncoming sob. “So grateful...brain death...TBI...glass in any of their major organs including the liver... _didn’t_ happen. It’s such a vascular organ, and...” The distraught political science student swallowed thickly, and turned her face towards Neal. “Thank you, so much. _Thank you.”_ Tears started to flow from her eyes as the bound book was held tightly in the young woman’s hands, and a half-choked sound came from her lips.

            Leanne was trying not to allow her feelings show, reminded of a tragedy much too close to her heart. Jesse was about to go to the young girl, but Neal quietly told her to look at him.

            “Breathe, Lydia.” The young woman who had suddenly started holding her breath relaxed as the young attending told her to just focus on him and breathe. “They are okay,” he continued to state softly. “They’re alive. You were right, things could have been worse, but they’re alright now.”

            Lydia nodded, shakily as she licked her lips as tears continued to trail down her cheeks. She was still crying, blinking her eyes in vain to stop the tears. Neal took it as his responsibility, who took her in his arms. For a moment, Leanne was about to tell Neal to let her go – doctors comfort patients’ or patients’ family members, but not like this. Nowhere near this close. But she saw Jesse give a look to be silent, so she watched as Lydia stiffened. It was only a moment later that the young woman began to relax, allowing her head to lie against the cotton of Neal’s scrubs as sobs started to tear from her lips. _Relief,_ Leanne thought as slight sharp sobs emerged from Lydia who was being held in Neal’s arms. _Relief is the most blessed on emotions of the heart. Meaning that something, or someone, is safe and sound._

_How I envy you, Lydia._

Neal was continuing to hold Lydia in his arms, saying no words that could not help her, the young woman steadily calming as she cried out the fear and relief that had plagued her since she had gotten the call that her parents had a car accident. Her face, swollen from crying and the sclera red titled up as she looked at Neal.

            “Thank you,” she softly whispered. Her eyes held gratitude and something close to awe. “Thank you...so much for helping them. And me. I don’t know what I what I would do without them, and you...” A soft, now-peaceful expression appeared on Lydia’s face. “You yourself are amazing, Dr. Hudson, for you saw me at my weakest and _helped_ me...and I’m so...grateful.”

            Neal didn’t know what to say. He just stared at the smile on the girl’s face, relief framing her features. _He’s embarrassed,_ Leanne thought with a slight smile. The young attending was never truly able to accept a compliment without trying to refute the statement. Jesse was smiling, and his smile turned to shock when Lydia sudden stood on her the top of her toes and gave Neal a brief kiss on the cheek. Then, with a wave, she started running to where one of her mother’s was waiting in the ER.

            “Do you think...?” Leanne stated with a glance at Neal, who was carefully touching the place where Lydia’s lips had been moments before.

            “I think it was just another thank you,” Neal said with slight shock with his accent slightly more pronounced as he stared at the numerous beds in the ER. “She seems to be the kind of person who has a romantic interest in Hobbes than people.”

            “Hobbes?” Jesse asked with a raised eyebrow.

            “Author of _Leviathan_ written in the seventeenth century who proclaimed that absolute monarchy was the correct form of government.” Jesse and Leanne stared at him with as if he had appeared in the ER without his scrubs. “I had to read it in grade eleven, and it still gives me nightmares.” His eyes wandered over to the ER. “Not to her, though. I saw some highlighted pages.”

            Later, when the shift was over and Leanne was about to go back to her vacant house that she once called home, she saw Neal about to exit the ER.

            “You did good today,” Leanne stated sincerely. The image of the strange girl who knew medical information and read _Leviathan_ who had cried in Neal’s arms flashed in her mind.

            Neal’s only reply was a silent nod.


End file.
